In describing the importance of having Luke Glendening in your lineup, Detroit Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said, “The better your team is, the more valuable he becomes.”
That explains why Glendening seems to draw a lot of interest at the trade deadline. Playoff-contending teams value his defensive game, penalty killing ability, face-off proficiency and work ethic.
So do the Red Wings, which is why they have continued to hang onto the 31-year-old right wing.
Glendening scored a pair of goals in the second period Monday, when Red Wings battled hard against a Dallas club in a desperate playoff chase but lost 3-2 in a shootout at American Airlines Center.
“Goals haven’t come easy for me this year or last year really,” Glendening said. “It’s nice to get a few, but it would have been a lot nicer if we could have gotten a W.”
When former Red Wings coach Mike Babcock was in Toronto, he pushed hard to acquire Glendening. If ever the Red Wings were going to trade the Grand Rapids native, this would have been the year because he’s in the final year of his contract, which would have enabled Detroit to acquire a draft pick for him and then possibly re-sign him in the summer.
Glendening is glad he stayed put.
“I didn’t know what was going to happen, so you have to control the things you can control,” Glendening said. “I’m still here and I’m excited to be here.”
“I try to stay away from that stuff as much as I can, the speculation. I learned early on it can really stress you out if you see that stuff every night.”
Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman surely will re-sign Glendening in the summer.
“He’s a great culture guy because of where his work ethic is at,” Blashill said. “We talk all the time about outworking, out-competing the other team. He embodies that. And then he’s an effective player on the ice, certainly with his face-offs but his defensive play and his ability to win battles, also grinding teams in the O-zone. We’d all love more offense, but they (Glendening’s line) create momentum shifts by playing in the O-zone.”
Glendening’s line, with Darren Helm and Adam Erne, has played together more than any other on the team.
“That line has been consistently good,” Blashill said. “They do it right, they’re simple, they’re good around the net. Luke always finds his way to be a good screen guy. He got a tip on one (goal) and driving the net on the other. They kind of embody what we need our team to be. Shift after shift do it right and outwork the other team, and they do that on a consistent basis.”
Vrana idled: Newly acquired Jakub Vrana missed the game due to a non-COVID related illness. Blashill said it is uncertain if he will be available for Tuesday’s game in Dallas.
The Link LonkApril 20, 2021 at 05:06PM
https://www.mlive.com/redwings/2021/04/red-wings-continue-to-benefit-from-great-culture-guy-luke-glendening.html
Red Wings continue to benefit from ‘great culture guy’ Luke Glendening - MLive.com
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